Machine for spreading concrete and other road materials



Oct. 22, 1963 W. F. MEN GEL.

MACHINE FOR SPREADING CONCRETE AND OTHER ROAD MATERIALS '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 6, 1959 INVENTOR. WILLIAM E MENGEL Oct. 22, 1963 w. F. MENGEL 3,107,592

MACHINE FOR SFREADING CONCRETE AND OTHER ROAD MATERIALS Filed July 6, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. WILLIAM F. MENGEL ATTORNEY K mu m R a 8 2 2 a 8 9.

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United States Patent 3,107,592 MACHINE FOR SPREADING CONCRETE AND OTHER ROAD MATERIALS William F. Mengel, 831 Elm St., Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. Filed July 6, 1959, Ser. No. 825,318 4 Claims. (CI. 94-46) This invention relates to a machine for placing concrete, aggregates or other materials on roadways and en ables the use of truck mixers or other hauling vehicles in concrete paving and similar work.

Truck mixers generally employ chutes to distribute the concrete discharged from the mixing drum. Rapid discharge is restricted by the use of long chutes because the longer the chute, the more nearly it must be in a horizontal position to provide spouting range. In concrete paving work, specifications usually require a relatively dry concrete which doesnt slide easily in the chute.

There is objection to driving the truck mixer on the roadway because its heavy weight tends to chew up the sub-base on which the concrete is poured. If the truck mixer is kept on the shoulder or opposite lane, the chute is incapable of distributing the concrete across the full width of the roadway.

Various conveying means have been proposed to receive the concrete at the side of the road and distribute it across the width of the road, but none of these has met with any substantial commercial success, either because they are too costly, lack capacity, or perform in an erratic and unsatisfactory manner.

The machine embodying the present invention utilizes a chassis of considerable length, which supports at its forward end, a pivoted conveyer which can be swung back and forth so its discharge end defines an are extending from the side of the road adjacent the machine to the opposite side of the road. Because of the length of the conveyer, which is nearly as long as the chassis of the machine, the discharge end or" the conveyer when at the side of the road remote from the chassis is only slightly forward of its position adjacent the chassis, an important factor in controlling the distribution of concrete.

The discharge end of the conveyer is supported during its swinging movement by an arcuate trolley track carried by a boom mounted at the rear of the chassis. The means for propelling the chassis, including its driving wheels, are located at the rear of the machine where they may effectively counterbalance the weight of the conveyer which the boom supports as the trolley travels to the opposite side of the road. Means are also provided on the machine engageable'with the side forms of the roadway for striking off the concrete transported by the conveyor, said strike-oil" being so arranged that the operator during the forward movement of the machine can accurately control the amount of concrete discharged by the conveyer in diiferent positions without causing low spots or excessive concrete being spilled over'the sides of the forms. Provision is also made for connecting the truck mixer to the chassis permitting the mixer to be pushed forward by the machine so that as the truck mixer discharges concrete, the concrete will be received at the forward end of the conveyer, and discharge from the truck mixer is rapid and without interruption. Accordingly, the machine provides high speed and eiiicient distribution of the concrete over the full width of the roadway.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, wherein FIGURE 1 isa plan view of the machine showing the truck mixer which supplies the concrete in dotted lines;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the machine shown in FIGURE 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the strike-otf screed as it engages the side forms;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the boom showing in dotted lines the position it occupies when extending from the opposite side of the machine; v

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the structure shown in FIG. 4; the dot-dash lines indicatinghow the end of the boom is folded back for transportation;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view, partly in section, of the means for latching the machine onto a truck mixer;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view, with parts broken away, showing the means for supporting the discharge end of the conveyer from the traveling trolley; and

FIG. 8 is a view, partly insection, of the discharge end of the belt conveyer showing the concrete bafding means.

In the drawings the number 11 refers to the elongated chassis or frame of the machine, which is disposed parallel to and adjacent to one of the sides of the strip of roadway being paved. The lateral confiines of the road are defined by the side forms 12, which extend perhaps 9 to 10 inches in height depending upon the thickness of the concrete slab. As illustrated herein, the roadway being paved is a single lane which at the present time is generally of the width of 12 feet. These dimensions will give an approximate idea of the size of the machine depicted in the drawings.

At the rear of the chassis 11 are the driving wheels 13 powered by the engine 14. The machine travels forwardly in the direction of the arrows shown on FIGS. 1 and 2. At the forward end of the machine, the chassis is supported by wheels 15 mounted on the single axle l6. Slightly rearward of the axle 16 is a frame 17 the lower portion of which rests on the top of the chassis 11 to constitute a fifth wheel which is rotatable about a king pin carried by the chassis. The conveyor frame 22 has upstanding brackets 18 supporting a hopper 19 arranged to feed concrete on the belt conveyor 20 which extends between the brackets. The head or driving pulley 21 for the conveyor 20 is carried by bearings mounted on the conveyor frame 22 forward of the discharge opening in the bottom of the hopper 19, the forward end of the frame 22 being supported by the upright members 23 and braced by the brackets 18.

Since the forward end of the chassis is suspended beneath the axle 16, the top of the hopper 19 is mounted at a low level where it may readily receive the concrete from the distributing spout 24 of the truck mixer 25, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The conveyer 20' in turn is free, to travel over the top of the forward end of the chassis 111 as it moves from the dotted line position to the full line position shown in FIG. 1. The power for driving the conveyer 20 is an electric motor also mounted on the frame 17 and geared to the pulley 21. Since the power is conventional, the details are not shown on the drawings.

Mounted on a rearward portion of the chassis 11 is a superstructure 26 which includes the boom 27. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the boom and superstructure 26 include a number of latticed members 28 providing rigidity to the structure. The boom 27 is bolted or clamped to the superstructure by a suitable connection 27' and supports arcuate track 29 which comprises T rails 20 above and below the boom, the arrangement being such that when it is desired to extend the boom to the other side of the chassis, the boom may be unbolted from the superstructure and connected on the opposite side thereof as illustrated in FIG. 4 with the position of the rails reversed, the lower rail in either position serving as the track for the trolley generally designated 31 which supports the dis-'; charge end of the conveyer 2%. If desired a hinge connection (not shown) can be provided at the upper juncture-of the rail portions of both the boom '27 and the" e superstructure and so arranged as to permit the boom 27 to swing upwardly to the folded position shown by the dotted lines in FIG. 5. It will be appreciated that before the boom is moved, either to the opposite side of the superstructure or about any hinge connection, the conveyer 20 is moved to an inner position as indicated by the dotted lines in FIG. 1. In this manner it is possible to run the machine on either side of the roadway while traveling forward in the same direction.

Additional support for the boom 27 is provided by the cables 32 which are connected between cross member 34 near the outer end of the boom and mast 33 which is detachably connected in the superstructure. The mast 33 can be moved to provide clearance for boom 27 when it is to be raised and folded as shown in FIG. 5.

As best illustrated in FIG. 7, the trolley 31 consists of spaced angle irons 34, on either side of the T rail 3% which are connected together beneath the T rail by the angles 35. Rollers 36 carried by the trolley travel on the tracks provided by the flanges of the T rail, while guide rolls 37 engage the web of the rail and guide the trolley as it travels across the arcuate track. Extending across the angle irons 34 and held in the outer corners thereof by the retainers 38 are the cables 39, the ends of which are clamped to the frame members 46 of the conveyer frame 22. Thus the discharge end of the conveyer frame is flexibly hung from the trolley 31, and since the cables are free to slide through the retainers 38, thereby constituting a sling, the conveyer may be readily adjusted to a level position despite any sag that may develop in the boom. Once adjusted, the weight of the conveyer will maintain the cables in fixed position.

The conveyer 20 consists of the endless belt41 on which the concrete is conveyed, the drive pulley 21, previously described, a tail pulley 4i, and idler pulleys 42 interspersed therebetween. Preferably the idler pulleys 42 on the upper run of the belt permit the belt to trough to enable more concrete to be conveyed without spilling.

The side frames 40 of the belt conveyer extend beyond the tail pulley '41, as illustrated in FIG. I and FIG. 8 and their ends are connected by a channel member from which a baflie 43 depends. A bent plate 44 is also mounted on the conveyer frame, the upper portion acting as a scraper blade to remove concrete which adheres to the belt while the larger bottom portion which slopes forward serves to interrupt the discharge of concrete from the belt and avoid segregation of the stones from the mortar as may otherwise occur. In combination with baffle 43, plate 44 likewise confines the discharge of concrete on the roadway. The disposition of the lower portion of the plate 44 directs material scraped from the belt so it cornmingles with the material deflected from the bafiie 43 and produces a homogeneous discharge.

For swinging the conveyer between the dotted and full line positions shown in PEG. 1, a double acting hydraulic ram 45 is connected between the far side of the structure 26 and an upright member 46 located on the couveyer frame 22 about midway along the length of the latter. Extending or retracting the ram moves the conveyer in an arcuate path and causes the trolley to travel along the track 29. Hydraulic fluid for the ram is provided through the lines 47 and 43 communicating with valves which are operated by the levers 49 on the control panel 50. The operator who is seated on the deck 51 just behind the panel 50 may stop the conveyer in any position of its swinging movement and cause more concrete to :be deposited in those areas, where because of some irregularity in feed of concrete from the truck mixer, additional quantities are required.

To assist the operator in depositing an even layer of concrete and to strike-off and smooth the layer of concrete which is deposited, at screed generally designated 52 is set diagonally across the roadway slightly behind the conveyer so that it is approximately tangent to the midpoint of the arc the conveyer follows. by observing if there is insufiicient concrete ahead of the screed to provide the desired thickness of slab, the operator can stop the conveyer wherever desired, or he can reverse its travel at any time, and thereby avoid either the necessity of backing up the machine or utilizing hand labor to shovel in additional concrete. Similarly by reversing travel before the conveyer reaches the ends of the arc, the operator can avoid pushing excess concrete over the forms.

The screed 52 which is best shown in PEG. 3 comprises the sled members 53 arranged to slide on the tops of the forms 12. The sleds 53 are connected by the top frame 53 which constitutes a rigid structure. The screed has a forward face 56 and a bottom member 56 disposed between the sleds 53, and these members are adjustable vertically between the sleds so that the level of the concrete may be struck off below the tops of the form as when the concrete is being deposited in two courses with wire mesh therebetween. The hydraulic jacks 55 mounted on the top frame 53 enable the raising and lowering of each end of the screed, the slots 58 in the end plates of the screed permitting the guide pins 58 on the sleds 53- to slide relative thereto while sealing the space between the sleds and the ends of the screed. A vibrator 57 is disposed centrally of the screed to provide vibration when desired. For lifting the screed and the sled completely off the roadway as when moving on or off the job, or when backing up the machine, cables 59 are connected to chains 59', and the'chains 59f 33.1'6 connected to the screed near the ends thereof. The cables 59 are trained over pulleys mounted on a frame 60 extending from the rear of the superstructure 26 and boom 27, and as shown in FIG. 1, these cables can be taken inor let out by the hydraulic ram 61, the movement of which is likewise controlled from the openators panel 50. Extending forwardly from the extremities of the front face 56 of the screed are two plates 54. Plates 54 extend slightly below the tops of the forms when the bottom 56' of the screed is level with the form. These plates therefore guide the screed along the forms and prevent spilling over the forms.

The outer end of the screed is caused to move forwardly by the chain 62 which connects the forward end of the outer sled 53 and the outer extremity of the forward member 63 of the boom 27. The inner end of the screed is also dragged by a chain, in this case numbered 64, connecting the inner sled and a portion of the boom directly in front of and above it. To facilitate lowering the screed with the sleds on the forms, hydraulic ram 65 is disposed laterally and horizontally between the chassis 11 and the inner sled 53 enabling the screed to be moved sideways to the correct position.

Most of the functions of the machine have been described in connection with its various elements. Ordinarily the truckmixers 25 are backed into a position in front of the spreading machine and it is necessary for the driver of the truckmixer to coordinate forward movement of the truckmixer with forward movement of the spreader. This is difficult to do and may result in considerable lost time. To avoid such delays, provision is made for latching the truckmixer onto the front of the machine whereby the truckmixer may be pushed by the spreader machine with the spout 24 maintained in position to continuously discharge onto the hopper 19.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the forward end of the chassis V 11 extends ahead of the front wheels 15 and an up- The forward face '71 of the slide over the bar 72 which is mounted on the truckmixer frame, as the truck the bar and locks the truckmixer to the spreading machine. Thus, if the truckmixer should be on a down grade, it cannot coast away from the spreading machine. When the truckmixer has discharged its load of concrete, the operator of the spreading machine can cause the ram to be extended lifting the latch and permitting the truckmixer to be driven away for a subsequent load of concrete. Another truck is then backed into position and the operation is repeated.

As prew'ously mentioned, the length of the conveyer, and the corresponding length of the chassis are important factors in the successful operation of the machine. In the machine shown in the drawings, the length of the conveyer is of the order of twice the width of the roadway being paved. The chassis being still longer than the conveyer, it is possible to locate the operator back of the conveyer and swing the conveyer across the full width of the roadway while running the machine very close to the nearest side form. Thus the trucks hauling concrete do not require excessive space to pass the opposite side of the machine. Shortening the conveyer in any substantial degree results in the conveyer swinging in too great an arc and renders it extremely difiicult to control even depth distribution across the witdh of the strip being paved. By setting the screed at a bias to the roadway so that its mid point is substantially tangent to a position slightly behind the arc swung by the discharge end of the conveyer, the end portions of the screed are likewise closely spaced behind the discharge of the conveyer at the extremities of its travel, so that the operator can observe it sufficient concrete is ahead of the screed throughout its length to permit proper screeding action. If desired, the ends of the screed can be curved or bent slightly forward to provide an even more uniform roll of concrete ahead of the ends of the screed, and to reduce the tendency to push excess concrete over the outside of the forms.

While the machine is designed primarily for spreading concrete, it may also be used to distribute aggregates or other material used in road paving work. Accordingly the invention is not to be limited except as required by the appended claims.

The invention having been described, what is claimed is:

1. A machine for spreading concrete or the like between the confines of a strip of pavement comprising, in combination, an elongated chassis, a conveyer, means pivotally mounting said conveyer near one end of said chassis for swinging movement of the discharge end of said conveyer about said pivotal mounting and in a generally arcuate path from a position adjacent said chassis to a position remote therefrom so that said chassis is adapted to travel along one side of said strip of pavement and said conveyor can be loaded directly from said one side of said strip of pavement, a boom, means for detachably mounting said boom on either side of said chassis extending over the path traversed by said discharge end of said conveyer, arcuate track means supported on vertically opposed sides of said boom, and trolley means sup ported on said tracks for movement along said path and including means for suspending said discharge end of said conveyer, when said boom extends from one side of said chassis one of said track means being positioned to support said trolley means and when said boom extends from the opposite side of said chassis the other of said track means positioned to support said trolley means.

2. A machine for distributing material between forms defining a roadway comprising, in combination, a vehicle movable relative to said roadway, an elongated conveyer having a receiving end and a discharge end, means for pivotally mounting said receiving end on said vehicle and for swinging movement of said discharge end of said conveyer about said pivotal connection laterally to one side of said vehicle and across said roadway so that said vehicle is adapted to move along one side of said roadway and said receiving end of said conveyer can be loaded directly from said one side of said roadway, a boom mounted on and extending laterally from said one side of said vehicle and having an arcuate track portion vertically spaced from the discharge end of said conveyor and concentric about said pivot point of said conveyer, carriage means transversable on said track portion, and a sling carried 'by said carriage means for supporting said discharge end of said conveyer and adjustable to maintain the conveyor in a level position despite canting of said boom.

3. A machine for spreading concrete or other material on a roadway comprising, in combination, an elongated chassis, a receiving hopper mounted on one end of said chassis, a conveyer, means for pivotally mounting said conveyer on said chassis with its receiving end disposed beneath said hopper and for movement of its discharge end in a generally horizontal are between the side of said roadway adjacent the other end of said chassis and a position remote from said chassis and adjacent the opposite side of said roadway, a boom extending from said other end of said chassis across said roadway, a trolley mounted on said boom and supporting said discharge end of said conveyer during its swinging movement, controllable means for moving said discharge end of said conveyer back and forth across said roadway as it discharges material, and a screed supported by said boom and extending between the opposed sides of said roadway, said screed disposed diagonally with respect to said roadway and substantially tangent to the midpoint of said are described by said discharge end of said conveyor so that the amount of concrete deposited on the roadway ahead of the screed can be accurately controlled during progress of said chassis.

4. A machine 'for spreading concrete or other material in a defined pathway comprising, in combination, an elongated chassis movable relative to said pathway, an elongated conveyer, means pivotally mounting one end of said conveyer on said chassis, means for swinging the discharge end of said conveyer about said pivotal mounting and laterally to one side of said chassis over said pathway, boom means supported from and extending laterally to said one side of said chassis, said *boom means including track means connected to said conveyer for supporting said discharge end of said conveyer as said discharge end swings over said pathway, and screed means supported in said machine on said one side of said chassis adjacent the discharge end of said conveyer for co0pcration therewith as said discharge end swings over said pathway.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 675,036 Drake May 28, 1901 1,038,588 Iverson Sept. 17, 1912 1,044,547 Liggett Nov. 19, 1912 1,242,558 Johnston Oct. 9, 1917 1,764,019 Hardenbergh June 17, 1930 1,878,278 .laeger Sept. 20, 1932 2,065,698 Heltzel Dec. 29, 1936 2,094,910 Baily Oct. 5, 1937 2,280,234 Harvey Apr. 21, 1942 2,289,168 Barber July 7, 1942 2,403,820 Miller July 9, 1946 2,649,185 Lichtenberg Aug. 18, 1953 2,725,799 Day Dec. 6, 1955 2,746,366 Reed May 22, 1956 2,848,930 Thompson Aug. 26, 1958 2,960,208 Sibley Nov. 15, 1960 3,016,809 McNeill Jan. 16, 1962 

4. A MACHINE FOR SPREADING CONCRETE OR OTHER MATERIAL IN A DEFINED PATHWAY COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, AN ELONGATED CHASSIS MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID PATHWAY, AN ELONGATED CONVEYOR, MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTING ONE END OF SAID CONVEYER ON SAID CHASSIS, MEANS FOR SWINGING THE DISCHARGE END OF SAID CONVEYER ABOUT SAID PIVOTAL MOUNTING AND LATERALLY TO ONE SIDE OF SAID CHASSIS OVER SAID PATHWAY, BOOM MEANS SUPPORTED FROM AND EXTENDING LATERALLY TO SAID ONE OF SAID CHASSIS, SAID BOOM MEANS INCLUDING TRACK MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CONVEYER FOR SUPPORTING SAID DISCHRGE END OF SAID CONVEYER AS SAID DISCHARGE END SWINGS OVER SAID PATHWAY, AND SCREED MEANS SUPPORTED IN SAID MACHINE ON SAID ONE SIDE OF SAID CHASSIS ADJACENT THE DISCHARGE END OF SAID CONVEYER FOR COOPERATION THEREWITH AS SAID DISCHARGE END SWINGS OVER SAID PATHWAY. 